Departmental Food

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of food sourced by his Department was procured from UK food producers in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office procures very few food products. In instructing caterers for events paid for by the Scotland Office, regard is had to whether the food was procured from UK food producers.

Departmental Food

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps his Department is taking to ensure that it meets the Government’s buying standards for food and catering.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office procures very few food products. In instructing caterers for events paid for by the Scotland Office, regard is had to whether the caterers meet the Government’s buying standards for food and catering.

Personal Independence Payment

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations she has made to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the effect of her planned replacement of disability living allowance with personal independence payments for claimants in Wales.

David Jones: The Secretary of State for Wales, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs Gillan), and I have regular discussions with ministerial colleagues in the Department of Work and Pensions about welfare reform including reform of disability living allowance.
	The Government are committed to supporting disabled people to lead independent lives. To achieve this we need to reform disability benefits to improve support for disabled people and to make the benefit more responsive to their needs. The personal independence payment will be more straight-forward and will help disabled people who face the greatest challenges to remain independent and lead full, active lives.

Manor Dean Cottage

Ian Austin: To ask the Prime Minister whether (a) he or (b) anyone acting on his behalf had discussions with (i) Lord Chadlington or (ii) anyone acting on his behalf about Manor Dean Cottage prior to its purchase.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the press briefing given by official spokesperson on 23 November 2011. A transcript of this is available on the No. 10 website:
	http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/morning-press-briefing-from-23-november-2011

Foreign Relations: Republic of Ireland

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 7 November 2011, Official Report, column 16W, on foreign relations: Republic of Ireland, what subjects were discussed at his meeting with the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin on 27 October 2011.

Owen Paterson: When the Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), met officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin on 27 October a wide range of issues was discussed, including economic conditions and north south co-operation in a number of fields.

Railways: Rolling Stock

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate her Department has made of the amount of investment rolling stock companies have made in the railway industry in each of the last 10 years. [R]

Theresa Villiers: The Government do not hold this information. However, the following table provides a rough estimate based on new passenger rolling stock procurement. This estimate will not reflect investment in the purchase of non passenger rolling stock equipment and ongoing refurbishment of the owners vehicles. For more accurate information, please contact the rolling stock companies.
	
		
			 Rough estimate of investment for new vehicles 
			  £  million 
			 2001 720 
			 2002 870 
			 2003 320 
		
	
	
		
			 2004 130 
			 2005 235 
			 2006 385 
			 2007 305 
			 2008 490 
			 2009 160 
			 2010 55 
			 2011 0

Economic and Monetary Union

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to the public purse was of his Department's Euro Implementation Unit in each year from its inception to its closure.

Mark Hoban: The cost of the Euro Preparations Unit in each year since its inception is difficult to ascertain, since much of the expenditure has been grouped within other departmental costs. An estimate of spending in those years that separate data were available is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Cost (£) 
			 2001-02 1,706,252.95 
			 2002-03 1,713,510.77 
			 2003-04 771,743.53 
			 2004-05 512,147.69 
			 2005-06 45,691.88 
			 2006-07 78,040.45 
			 2007-08 29,620.18 
			 2008-09 4,498.09 
			 Total 4,861,505.54

Public Sector: Pensions

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what savings to the public purse have arisen as a consequence of changing the indexation of public service pensions from the retail price index to the consumer price index; and how much of any such savings in the case of pensioners over the age of 70 years is due to the exclusion of the guaranteed minimum pension element of their pension in the indexation.

Danny Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for West Suffolk (Matthew Hancock) on 14 November 2011, Official Report, columns 643-44W. This includes a table with an estimate of savings on unfunded public service pensions due to the decision to use the consumer prices index (CPI) as the Government's preferred measure for uprating the additional state pension and public service pensions.
	The indexation of guaranteed minimum pensions (GMPs) in payment depends upon individual circumstances and can be paid by either public service schemes or through the state pension, or both. HM Treasury does not have the information to calculate the savings on public service pensions expenditure that specifically relate to the GMP elements of those pensions.

Taxation: Environment Protection

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Affordable Warmth element of the Energy Company Obligation is included in the Control framework for DECC levy-funded spending.

Chloe Smith: The control framework for DECC levy-funded spending covers DECC's policies that entail levy-funded spending and that are or likely to be classified by the Office of National Statistics as imputed taxation and public spending for national accounts purposes.
	If other DECC policies are classified as tax and spend then they will fall within the control framework. The Energy Company Obligation, or its Affordable Warmth Component, would be included if classified as such. Classification will take place in due course.

Taxation: Holiday Accommodation

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any plans to delay the introduction of new rules for furnished holiday lettings beyond April 2012.

David Gauke: No. The changes to the rules for furnished holiday lettings (FHLs) were legislated in Finance Act 2011. The first changes took effect from April 2011 (removal of loss relief against general income) and there are further changes from April 2002 (increase in qualifying thresholds).

Departmental Design

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has spent on design in respect of (a) logos, (b) buildings, (c) advertising, (d) stationery and (e) campaigns in the last year for which figures are available.

Bob Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government incurred no design costs on (a) logos, (b) buildings and (d) stationery in 2010-11. The Department ran one advertising campaign—Fire Kills—that aimed to encourage people to test their smoke alarm regularly in order to prevent fatalities and injuries from fire in the home. The creative work associated with this, including all the advertising agency costs associated with the campaign, was £42,300.
	To assist the hon. Member's scrutiny of Whitehall spending, I would note that the last Administration spent £22,000 of taxpayers' money on home information packs branding; £21,090 on Homebuy scheme branding; £15,000 on the branding the Sustainable Communities summit (subsequently cancelled); £10,000 on branding the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit quango; £25,000 on Community Builders branding; £7,260 on Code for Sustainable Homes branding; £33,400 on Cleaner Safer Greener Communities branding; £3,520 on re-branding Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Fire Services as the Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser; £3,830 on a logo for the Department and Communities and Local Government followed by spending £24,765 on renaming it Communities and Local Government; and £1,371 on re-branding the ‘Office of the Deputy Prime Minister’ to the ‘Deputy Prime Minister's Office’.

Local Government Finance

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 1 November 2011, Official Report, column 440W, on urban areas: Government assistance, how much funding has been (a) applied for and (b) disbursed to local authorities in respect of (i) the £10 million Recovery Fund and (ii) the £20 million High Street Support scheme to date.

Bob Neill: holding answer 15 November 2011
	My Department was responsible for three funds that were set up in the immediate aftermath of the riots—the Homelessness Support scheme that helped those who were made homeless; the Recovery Fund, which covered the clean-up costs of local authorities; and the High Street Support scheme, which compensates councils for measures to help local businesses.
	Under these schemes, local councils have been in the lead in providing support to local firms and local residents. Central Government subsequently is reimbursing local councils for their costs retrospectively (in a similar way to how the Bellwin scheme has operated historically). As made clear when the schemes were launched, Central Government is not funding affected firms or residents directly.
	Homelessness Support scheme
	The closing date for the receipt of local authority claims for the Homelessness Support scheme was 30 November. So far the Department has received claims from four local authorities totalling over £100,000 which are still being assessed. Payments to local authorities will be made shortly.
	The Homelessness Support scheme met the immediate costs of re-housing those made homeless by the disturbances up to a maximum payment threshold of £5,000 per household, with discretion applied for exceptional costs. As an illustration, as at the end of September in Haringey, 54 properties were affected and 58 households were displaced as a result of the disturbances. All households made homeless who approached local authorities for assistance have been found alternative accommodation.
	DCLG is providing a further £35,000 for a dedicated support service in Haringey for the households who were displaced by disturbances. Those affected faced a particularly complex pattern of needs (housing, clothing, furniture, transport, psychological support).
	Recovery scheme
	The closing date for the receipt of local authority claims for the Recovery scheme was 7 November. Claims from 25 local authorities are currently being assessed. On 16 November, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), wrote to council leaders of the areas affected by disturbances, stating that, even though the deadline for submitting claims under this scheme had passed, he would be happy to accept claims until 23 November, as he was keen to ensure that councils are reimbursed for all expenses incurred as a result of disturbances. Over £500,000 has already been paid to local authorities from the Recovery Fund in the first batch of payments, and more will follow in the next few weeks.
	High Street Support scheme
	The deadline for claims to be submitted under the High Street Support scheme was extended to 31 January 2012, at the request of local authorities, to allow them to use funds to support local high streets in the run up to the busy Christmas and sales period. But, as examples:
	By 20 October, Haringey council had provided £165,000 in hardship grants to almost 100 local businesses. The council estimates that it may make a final claim of around £2 million to the High Street Support scheme.
	By 27 October, Croydon council had provided £249,000 in hardship grants to businesses and £137,000 in business rates hardship relief. These sums form part of the council’s £882,000 local investment so far through the High Street Support scheme. The council granted £1,000 to any business with a crime reference number, without the business having to ask for the grant. The police made direct contact with the council, which then made payment with the need of a formal claim to be made by the affected business.
	I understand Manchester has spent £181,000 under the High Street Support scheme on promotional activities in the riot-affected areas. These activities will aim to encourage Manchester residents to come to the city centre to shop, eat and socialise. As part of this, the council co-ordinated a very successful three-week “I love Manchester” campaign, which was grass-roots driven and became a symbol of the city’s resilience and message to the world that the people of Manchester are proud of their city and united against criminality and antisocial behaviour. 180 people registered to volunteer in the future.
	Salford council is investing £98,000 of its High Street Support scheme funding to boost pride in Salford city centre. Funding is being used to create a welcoming environment for shoppers by repairing damage and promoting the “Salford Open for Business” programme aimed at increasing footfall in Salford shopping city.
	Ealing council set aside a £250,000 fund to help areas affected by the riots. Small independent traders, which suffered damage from vandals and looters, have been given £1,200 to help them pay for things like new glazing and repairs.
	Wolverhampton council has funded £110,000 on security blinds; £45,000 on promotions for city centre (“700 reasons to shop in Wolverhampton” campaign—referring to its 700 shops). They have also supported radio coverage and competitions for independent traders.
	As outlined in the written ministerial statement today, we will also address any loss of New Homes Bonus in areas affected by last summer’s riots through riot recovery funds.
	I would commend the recommendation of the Interim report of the Riots Communities and Victims Panel that each local authority should identify an officer who can provide a knowledgeable single point of contact on financial recovery to local people and businesses affected by the riots.

Local Government Finance

Christopher Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effect that the planned reform of business rate redistribution and local revenue fluctuations will have on local authority tax increment financing.

Bob Neill: Given that details of the local retention of business rates and Tax Increment Financing have not been finalised, no quantitative assessment has been made of the interaction between the two.
	The Government's consultation on the local retention of business rates set out two broad options to enable the implementation of Tax Increment Finance, along with the potential benefits and risks in relation to the wider local retention proposals. This consultation closed on 24 October.

Planning Permission

Stephen Gilbert: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the contribution of the right hon. Lord Shutt of Greetland of 17 October 2011, Official Report, House of Lords, columns 139-40, on the Localism Bill, when his Department plans to issue a revised version of Circular 03/09: Cost Awards in Appeals and Other Planning Proceedings; when he intends to consult on requiring departure applications to have compulsory pre-application consultation with the local community; and if he will make a statement.

Greg Clark: holding answer 24 November 2011
	We are currently reviewing what changes will be needed to planning documents following commencement of the planning provisions in the Localism Act.
	In addition, questions 4(a) and 4(b) to the consultation on the draft National Planning Policy Framework asked what light-touch guidance should accompany the new framework, and what organisations are best placed to provide it. We are now considering the responses to that consultation.

Rented Housing: Southwark

Harriet Harman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the merits of taking steps to mitigate the effect of the level of the retail prices index on rent levels for local authority tenants in the London Borough of Southwark.

Andrew Stunell: No such assessment has been made in respect of the London borough of Southwark. Under existing social rent policy, to protect tenants from large annual rent rises there is a limit on actual rent increases for all individual local authority tenants of retail prices index inflation + 0.5% + £2. This rent policy was introduced under the last Administration.

Travellers: Community Relations

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress his Department has made on developing a national strategy for Roma integration under the EU framework.

Andrew Stunell: I refer the hon. Member to the answers my noble Friend, Baroness Hanham gave to the noble Lord, Lord Avebury on 14 June 2011, Official Report, House of Lords, column WA177 and 24 October 2011, Official Report, House of Lords, column WA116. We plan to publish a progress report on the work of the Ministerial Working Group on Preventing and Tackling Inequalities Experienced by Gypsies and Travellers later this year.

Arts: Voluntary Work

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the merits of creating and developing skills banks in the arts sector to encourage finance and legal professionals to volunteer their services on an ad hoc basis.

Edward Vaizey: Arts Council England's plan for 2011-15 sets out key priorities including: to promote greater collaboration between organisations to increase efficiency and innovation; strengthening business models in the arts; and building a network of arts leaders who value sharing knowledge and skills.
	I have noted with interest models such as the Cranfield Trust, Orange's ‘Do Some Good’ initiative and Business in the Community's ‘Business Connectors’ programme, all of which contain principles which can be replicated in the arts.

Telephones: Unsolicited Goods and Services

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to prevent unsolicited calls being made to people who have subscribed to the Telephone Preference Service.

Edward Vaizey: Telephone Preference Service (TPS) registered consumers are protected from unsolicited marketing calls through the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) 2003. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has enforcement responsibility for the TPS and considers complaints about breaches. In May of this year, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) increased the ICO's powers in relation to the PECR, as part of revisions to the EU e-privacy directive enabling the ICO to issue a fine of up to £500,000 for the most serious breaches of the regulations. In addition, DCMS is discussing the effectiveness of the TPS with Ofcom, who are responsible for the contract, to ensure that consumers remain effectively protected and improvements are made where necessary.

Durban Climate Change Conference

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent progress has been made on achieving an agreement on climate finance for the Durban climate change conference; and if he will make a statement.

Christopher Huhne: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne North (Catherine McKinnell), today.

Domestic Energy Costs

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to assist households with their energy costs.

Charles Hendry: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Edinburgh South (Ian Murray) and the hon. Member for Telford (David Wright), today.

Electricity: Meters

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects the Smart Metering Installation Code of Practice to be published.

Charles Hendry: Electricity and gas suppliers have already developed a draft Smart Metering Installation Code of Practice, which they published for consultation in August 2011. They are now considering responses. The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has consulted on the draft licence conditions that will formally underpin an industry Code, and will publish its response in the new year. The consultation proposed that energy suppliers should be required to submit a Code of Practice to the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) for approval within one month of the new licence conditions' taking effect.

Fuels: Prices

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the average monthly fuel bill for a pensioner in receipt of pension credit guarantee credit in 2011.

Charles Hendry: Precise data on monthly fuel bills of pensioners in receipt of pension credit is not available. The Living Costs and Food survey, run by ONS, reports expenditure data for the year 2010 by age of household reference person. This suggests that average monthly household expenditure on electricity, gas and other fuels was as follows, based on the age of the household reference person:
	
		
			  £ 
			 50 to 64 102.30 
			 65 to 74 95.30 
			 75 and over 88.40

Green Deal Scheme

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effect of the introduction of the green deal on the existing market for energy efficiency products.

Gregory Barker: The green deal will open up the energy efficiency market to new sources of finance. Our assessment shows that green deal could double the number of jobs in the insulation industry, supporting at least 65,000 jobs by 2015.
	Further detail can be found in the green deal impact assessment.

Green Deal Scheme

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration he has given to the structural obligations and liabilities placed on builders by the green deal.

Gregory Barker: The green deal consultation document sets out our proposals for oversight and redress in relation to installers under the green deal. These were developed in close collaboration with the green deal Installer Fora which is comprised of key industry trade bodies.

Heating Oil

Jesse Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to promote competition in the heating oil distribution market.

Charles Hendry: Last winter, I asked the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to bring forward its Off-Grid Domestic Energy Market study. Published on 18 October 2011, the study concluded that competition in the heating oil sector is generally working well. It reported that most consumers had a good choice of four or more suppliers and that barriers to new market entrants are low in most areas. In areas where potential mergers have threatened competition, OFT has sought divestments to maintain the pre-merger levels of competition. We remain vigilant to ensure that the heating fuels markets function effectively for consumers.

Planning Permission

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what he proposes will happen to planning applications currently being processed by the Independent Planning Commission (IPC) which remain uncompleted on the IPC's dissolution.

Bob Neill: I have been asked to reply.
	The Localism Act provides for the abolition of the Infrastructure Planning Commission and the return of responsibility for taking decisions to democratically elected Ministers. Section 129 of the Localism Act empowers the Secretary of State to make direction with regard to the handling of applications on or after the abolition date for the Infrastructure Planning Commission, and will use this power to ensure applications transfer seamlessly on the day that the Infrastructure Planning Commission is abolished.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many Housing Revenue Account tenanted properties have feed-in tariff installations in each London borough.

Gregory Barker: This information is not held by the Department.
	However, as of 30 November, the Ofgem Central FITs Register shows a total of 3250 installations in receipt of feed-in tariffs across all London boroughs.

Solar Power

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans he has to encourage community projects and local authorities to make use of solar PV.

Gregory Barker: The latest consultation on feed-in tariffs states that the Government are considering whether more could be done to enable genuine community projects to benefit from FITs. The next consultation will also seek views on how we define community schemes.

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change for what reasons the proposed new multi-installation tariff rates for aggregated solar photovoltaic schemes is set at 80 per cent. of the standard tariffs for individual installations.

Gregory Barker: The multi-installation tariff rates are based on evidence from the comprehensive review which suggested that the economies of scale associated with aggregated projects mean that a lower tariff is necessary to deliver the target rate of return of 5%. We have considered this evidence along with the possible impact of the proposed new requirements on energy efficiency on aggregated projects. On this basis, we consider that a multi-installation rate which is set at 80% of the proposed standard tariffs for individual installations, is justified (where that would result in a tariff that is no lower than the marginal cost of renewables).

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration he gave to the potential effects on (a) confidence in the solar industry and (b) investment in major future energy initiatives of his decision to reduce the feed-in tariff for solar photovoltaics from 12 December 2011.

Gregory Barker: The impact assessment accompanying the Government's consultation on feed-in tariffs (FITs) for solar photovoltaics (PV), available at
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/consultation/fits-comp-review-p1/3416-fits-IA-solar-pv-draft.pdf
	estimates that new solar PV installations will continue to come forward under the proposed changes to FITs for solar PV. The impact assessment does not estimate the specific impact of the proposed changes, or the potential new business opportunities arising from the consultation proposals on energy efficiency, on the UK solar industry.
	Current tariffs are providing returns well in excess of the around 5% that was intended when the FITs scheme was launched, and the proposed new tariffs are intended to ensure that returns go back to this, level.
	As with all DECC policy proposals, we have taken into account their potential perception by industry and investors. Our commitment to delivering clarity and longevity is one of the reasons that we will be introducing the electricity market reform to provide investors with a stable and credible long-term policy framework to encourage investment.

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many Housing Revenue Account tenanted properties have feed-in tariff solar photovoltaic installations in each London borough.

Gregory Barker: This information is not held by the Department.
	However, as of 30 November, the Ofgem Central FITs Register shows a total of 3223 solar photovoltaic installations in receipt of feed-in tariffs across all London boroughs.

Wind Power

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress has been made in implementing the Government's policy on wind farms.

Charles Hendry: The Renewable Energy Roadmap (published in July 2011) sets out a targeted plan of actions for eight key technologies, including onshore and offshore wind, in order to meet our 15% renewable energy target. The Roadmap includes illustrative “central ranges” for these key technologies and whilst they don't represent technology specific targets or the level of our ambition, they do show what could be deployed by 2020. We are making progress on the actions in the Roadmap to remove non-financial barriers—including reform of the planning system, and working with aviation and wind stakeholders to develop and implement mitigation of wind farm interference with aviation radar.
	The Government are committed to continuing support for wind technologies through the renewables obligation (RO) to help achieve our challenging deployment goals. On 20 October, DECC published a consultation on proposals for RO support levels for large-scale renewable electricity generation, including from onshore and offshore wind, for the period 2013-17(1). We are targeting support at the most cost effective of these technologies, and in the case of onshore wind farms in particular, a proposed 10% reduction in the level of support aims to deter poorly sited projects. The RO proposals will help secure billions of pounds of private sector investment in the UK economy.
	Good progress has been made on deployment—we currently have 4 gigawatts (GW) of onshore wind capacity in operation and the existing pipeline contains an additional 11GW. When taken together, this would contribute a significant proportion of the central range for onshore wind deployment by 2020.
	In addition, the UK is the world leader for offshore wind power, with over 1.5GW installed capacity, around 4GW post-consent and some 2GW in the planning system demonstrating that good progress is being made towards meeting our central projections for this technology.
	(1 )http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/cons_ro_ review/cons_ro_review.aspx

Prisoners’ Release: Lie Detectors

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many sex offenders have had a polygraph condition imposed as part of their release licence in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many released offenders have undergone a polygraph session as a result of the polygraph pilot; and how many polygraph sessions have taken place in each month that the pilot has been operational.

Crispin Blunt: Sections 28 to 30 of the Offender Management Act 2007 (the 2007 Act) enabled a pilot of mandatory polygraph testing to take place covering offenders released on licence to addresses in the east and west Midlands regions, after serving prison sentences of 12 months or more for committing specified sexual offences. The pilot began in January 2009 and ended October 2011. During this period, 650 sexual offenders were released with a licence condition requiring them to undertake polygraph testing.
	599 of the 650 attended at least one polygraph session during this period, the first test being scheduled 10-12 weeks after release. A polygraph session was scheduled at not less than every six months for the duration of the licence and pilot.
	The following table provides details of the testing figures for the first two financial years of the pilot and for the year to October 2011 when testing ended. During this period, 1,290 polygraph sessions took place.
	The discrepancy between offenders released with a polygraph condition (650) and those attending at least one session (599) are accounted for, in the main, by the offender being recalled before their scheduled first test.
	
		
			 Period Number of tests 
			 2009-10 346 
			 2010-11 608 
			 April-October 2011 336 
			 Total 1,290 
		
	
	The results of the pilot are now subject to evaluation, with a view to determining whether mandatory polygraph testing is a useful additional tool in the risk management of sexual offenders. In accordance with the provisions in the 2007 Act, an affirmative resolution of each House of Parliament would be needed before mandatory polygraph testing could be extended to sexual offenders released on licence throughout England and Wales.

Probation

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what (a) the full list of probation functions and (b) the list of core probation services is; and which of these have been subjected to marketisation.

Crispin Blunt: The information is as follows.
	(a) The full list of probation functions is covered by the following service specifications, published as part of the NOMS Directory of Services at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/about/noms/noms-directory-of-services-and-specifications.htm
	Bail accommodation service
	Bail services
	Court work other than assessments and reports
	Victim liaison
	Approved premises—Public protection and regimes
	Approved premises—Catering and domestic arrangements
	Assessment and reports pre-sentence
	Manage the sentence for a community order or suspended sentence order
	Manage the custodial sentence—Manage the sentence pre and post release from custody
	Manage the custodial sentence—Deliver supervision on licence
	Deliver supervision requirement
	Deliver accredited programmes
	Deliver curfew requirement
	Support delivery of alcohol treatment requirement
	Support delivery of drug rehabilitation requirement
	Support delivery of mental health treatment requirement
	Deliver residence requirement
	Deliver prohibited activity requirement
	Deliver exclusion requirement
	Deliver senior attendance centre requirement
	Rehabilitation services—In the community
	Rehabilitation services—Deliver activity requirement
	Unpaid work/Community payback
	(b) There is currently no official list of 'core probation services.' The Government will consider this as part of the ongoing probation review.
	Bail Accommodation and Support Service and Community Payback are currently the only probation functions that have been, or are being, put to competition on a national basis by NOMS. NOMS does not keep records of competitive activity undertaken by probation trusts.
	The probation review announced on 13 July 2011 is developing options for probation reform. All the options being considered include scope for a much greater level of competition in probation services. We plan to consult on our proposals in the new year.

Departmental Audit

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many internal audits have taken place (a) in his Department and (b) in the non-departmental bodies for which his Department is responsible in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Francis Maude: Department for Communities and Local Government Internal Audit is contracted to provide the internal audit service for Cabinet Office and its non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs).
	During the period November 2010 to November 2011, Internal Audit has undertaken 30 audits. This figure includes four audits undertaken in the National School of Government (NSG) which since 1 April 2011 has been part of the Cabinet Office.
	The following audits have been undertaken in the NDPBs:
	Civil Service Commission (NDPB—created November 2011): one audit
	Capacitybuilders (NDPB—ceased to exist April 2011): four audits
	Commission for the Compact (NDPB—ceased to exist April 2011): one audit.

Departmental Eggs

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to ensure that the same standards of animal welfare for whole eggs apply to imported liquefied eggs procured by (a) his Department and (b) public bodies for which he is responsible;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to ensure that the same standards of animal welfare for whole eggs apply to imported liquefied eggs served on the Downing street estate.

Francis Maude: The Prime Minister's Office is an integral part of the Cabinet Office.
	The standards for animal welfare for whole eggs and imported liquefied eggs are set out in the Government Buying Standards on Food and Catering at:
	http://sd.defra.gov.uk/advice/public/buying/products/food/
	These are mandatory for central Government and their executive agencies.
	Information in relation to the Cabinet Office's commitment to the Government Buying Standards on Food and Catering can be found on its website at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/food-procurement-reporting

Public Bodies

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what risk registers are held by his Department and the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible; and if he will make a statement.

Francis Maude: holding answer 28 November 2011
	Within the Cabinet Office each business group is accountable for managing their own risks and are responsible for both maintaining their associated risk registers and for ensuring that their business plans and all projects, programmes or activities which deliver departmental strategic or corporate objectives, include the review of associated risks and that any mitigating actions are implemented.
	Risk registers are kept and maintained as is appropriate, at working level. A list of all risk registers used within the Department and its NDPBs is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The Cabinet Office also co-ordinate a number of cross-government risk assessments to identify and assess a range of risks for the UK. These inform wider cross-government policy making, including contingency planning and national security.

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the oral answer to the hon. Member for Cambridge of 13 October 2011, Official Report, column 468, who has offered legal advice to her Department on the use of wild animals in circuses; and if she will place in the Library a copy of any such advice received by her Department.

James Paice: Since 23 June 2011, DEFRA has been sent legal advice by the RSPCA and was referred to an article in an online legal journal that can be found at:
	http://webjcli.ncl.ac.uk/2011/issue4/pdf/rook4.pdf
	The RSPCA advice has not been published and it may be subject to legal privilege. The release of this unpublished legal advice would need to be considered by the RSPCA.

Biodiversity

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish the criteria that would have to be met during the biodiversity offset pilot for the scheme to be rolled-out further.

Richard Benyon: The biodiversity offsets pilots are being set up specifically in order to enable us to assess the effectiveness of the approach. The pilots will run for two years and there will be an independent evaluation of the process. A decision will then be made on whether, and if so how, to support greater use of offsetting across England.

Food

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the implications for food security in 2050 of each extreme of the population range projection made by the Office for National Statistics for that year.

Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the implications for food security in 2050 of each extreme of the population range projection made by the Office for National Statistics for that year;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of food security in 2050 at the upper and lower limits of the population range currently projected by the Office for National Statistics.

James Paice: The Office for National Statistics produce population projections for the UK based on a set of demographic assumptions. Their principal projection for the UK in 2050 is 78.4 million. Population projections become increasingly uncertain the further they are carried forward and the long-term figures should be treated with great caution.
	Our food security depends on access to the world market; and our domestic food industry needs to be able to compete on the world stage. In a world where climate instability can disrupt patterns of production, food security cannot be delivered from a narrow, self-interested, national protectionist stance, or by recommending self-sufficiency.
	Earlier this year the Government's Chief Scientist, Sir John Beddington, published a Foresight report into the Future of Food and Farming which looked at the challenges today and in the future. It explored how we can feed a global population of 9 billion by 2050 healthily and sustainably and identified hunger and environmental degradation as the key problems we face. The Foresight world population figures are derived from United Nations projections.
	As an immediate response to the report, DEFRA have signed up to a Foresight Action Plan which will include:
	championing an integrated approach to food security;
	pressing for integration of agricultural GHGs into UNFCCC process;
	taking forward Nagoya work on international biodiversity;
	promoting the importance of sustainable intensification;
	pressing for trade liberalisation and CAP/CFP reform;
	showcasing what can be achieved on food waste reduction within the UK and share best practice; and
	increasing the productivity and competitiveness of UK food and farming and ensure that agriculture and the food sector can contribute fully to the green economy.

Adam Werritty

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 24 October 2011, Official Report, column 402W, whether any civil servants were present at the 2010 meeting between the right hon. Member for North Somerset, Mr Adam Werritty and Mr Matthew Gould.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 7 November 2011
	I refer the hon. Member to the Cabinet Secretary’s report published on 18 October 2011.

Adam Werritty

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 24 October 2011, Official Report, column 402W, whether any reports of the 2010 meeting between the right hon. Member for North Somerset, Mr Adam Werritty and Mr Matthew Gould were forwarded to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 7 November 2011
	The Ministry of Defence did not send a report of the meeting to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

AWE Aldermaston: Planning Permission

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department expects to submit a planning application for the proposed Technology Development Centre at the Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston to the local planning authority; whether an environmental impact assessment will be prepared for the proposed development; and whether he plans to request a defence-exempt environmental impact assessment direction for the proposed development.

Peter Luff: holding answer 30 November 2011
	The planning application for the proposed Technology Development Centre was submitted to West Berkshire council on 25 November 2011. A Defence environmental impact assessment exemption direction was granted by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles), on 17 August 2011 so an environmental impact assessment will not be submitted. However, a Defence exempt environmental appraisal has been included with the planning application. This provides the majority of the information that would have been supplied with an environmental impact assessment; a small amount of information has, however, been omitted for the purpose of safeguarding national security.

Departmental Publications

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) leaflets, (b) posters and (c) reports his Department has published since May 2010; how much each cost; and which company (i) published and (ii) designed each.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has a central contract with Corporate Document Services (CDS) for the provision of printing services. The contract covers a range of printed material in both paper and other materials using all forms of printing methods and technology. The contract can be used for Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force and other departmental printing requirements. Identifying specific types of order, as defined in the question, would require line by line examination of records. The volume of orders placed through the contract means that this could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Orders placed through the CDS contract may include design work. Orders placed through the contract cover a variety of products; in addition to those products listed in the question, and among many others, the contract covers production of technical publications, periodicals, magazines, forms, business cards, CD/DVD duplication, signage, scanning and microfiche services and internet services.
	The total cost of this contract between 1 May 2010 and 31 October 2011 was £11.78 million. This represents a reduction of almost £2 million from the contract's total cost over the previous 18-month period: 1 November 2008 to 30 April 2010 which was £13.56 million.
	The Government's Central Office of Information (COI) have also managed some printing activity on the Department's behalf. Leaflets and posters printed through COI over the period requested have cost some £100,000.
	On 31 May 2010, the Prime Minister wrote to all Government Departments with plans to open up Government data, with a specific commitment to publish Government expenditure over £25,000. This published information includes payments made to CDS and to COI for any services. For the MOD it can be found at:
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/FinancialReports/ModSpend/ModSpendOver25000DataFiles.htm

Ex-servicemen

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent meetings he has had with veteran groups.

Philip Hammond: While I have had no formal meetings with Veteran Groups to date, I have had the pleasure and honour of meeting with veterans on 16 October at Royal Wootton Basset; on 13 November, Remembrance Sunday, at the Cenotaph; and on 20 November, in Paris at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission ceremony.
	Defence Ministers and officials meet regularly with Veteran Groups on a wide range of issues. We also work very closely with other Government Departments, Devolved Administrations, and Voluntary Sector organisations to ensure that the needs and circumstances of the ex-Service community are known with the aim of improving veterans' access to services and to assist with their transition to civilian life.

Ex-servicemen

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many times the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans has received meeting requests from (a) The Veterans Charity, (b) Veterans UK and (c) The Royal British Legion;
	(2)  how many times the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans has received meeting requests from Combat Stress since 11 May 2011; and how many of these requests have been fulfilled;
	(3)  how many times the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans has received meeting requests from the Falkland Veterans Foundation since 11 May 2011; and how many of these requests have been fulfilled;
	(4)  how many times the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans has received meeting requests from the Soldier's Charity since 11 May 2011; and how many of these requests have been fulfilled.

Andrew Robathan: While we do not hold records of all meeting requests, I can confirm that I regularly meet representatives of charities which raise money for, and represent the interests of, current and former members of our armed forces and their families, either on a one to one basis or as part of wider forums, such as the Central Advisory Committee on Pensions and Compensation or the Ministry of Defence (MOD)'s Welfare Conference.
	Since May 20111 am not aware that I have met representatives of the Veterans Charity or the Falkland Veterans Foundation. Veterans UK is the MOD's Service Personnel and Veterans’ Agency (SPVA) online website. I regularly meet members of SPVA staff to discuss departmental issues.

Germany: Military Bases

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has held with the German Government concerning the NATO SOFA Supplementary Agreement.

Gerald Howarth: The Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has not held any discussions with the German Government concerning the NATO SOFA Supplementary Agreement.
	The previous Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), did write to his German counterpart at the time of the strategic defence and security review informing the German Government that we would be relocating British forces to the UK.

Jon Moulton

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether (a) he, (b) officials of his Department and (c) special advisers in his Department have meet (i) Mr Jon Moulton and (ii) Mr Tony Buckingham on official business since May 2010; and how many such meetings took place (A) on his Department's premises and (B) elsewhere.

Philip Hammond: holding answer 7 November 2011
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Wrexham (Ian Lucas), on 21 November 2011, Official Report, columns 25-6W.

Libya: Armed Conflict

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he made of the satellite datalink capacity for communication between ISTAR assets during Operation Ellamy.

Philip Hammond: In Operation Ellamy, effective information sharing was achieved via satellite communications. However, satellite datalink communication between ISTAR assets was not the primary means of supporting near-real time coordination and datasharing. Instead, ultra high frequency and very high frequency radios and military tactical datalinks were utilised to good effect.

War Memorials: Theft

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions Ministers in his Department have had with ministerial colleagues in the Home Office on protecting war memorials from metal thieves.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence has no direct responsibility in this matter, but supports any plan to protect the memory of those who have served and paid the ultimate price defending our country. It is appalling that memorials are being vandalised and violated in the manner reported.
	I am aware that my ministerial colleagues in the Home Office have had a number of discussions with Ministers from other Government Departments to consider what approach should be taken to tackle metal theft.

Adam Werritty

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether (a) she, (b) officials of her Department and (c) special advisers in her Department have met Mr Adam Werritty on official business since May 2010; and how many such meetings took place (i) on her Department's premises and (ii) elsewhere.

Damian Green: holding answer 7 November 2011
	The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), and special advisers have not met with Mr Adam Werritty since May 2010. Information on whether officials have met Mr Werritty is not held centrally.

Arrest Warrants

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK nationals were extradited to another EU member state under a European arrest warrant in (a) 2004-5, (b) 2005-6, (c) 2006-07, (d) 2007-08, (e) 2008-09, (f) 2009-10 and (g) 2010-11.

Damian Green: The Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service for Scotland are the designated UK authorities responsible for processing European arrest warrants (EAWs).
	Since the introduction of the EAW in 2004 193 British nationals have been surrendered by the UK to another European Union member state under an EAW.
	Due to the way data was recorded prior to 1 October 2008 it is not possible to provide data on the number of British nationals surrendered to each European Union member state prior to this date:
	
		
			  British nationals surrendered 
			 2004 5 
			 2005 11 
			 2006 26 
			 2007 27 
			 1 January 2008 to 30 September 2008 32 
		
	
	
		
			 1 October 2008 to 31 March 2009 British nationals surrendered 
			 Netherlands 2 
			 Spain 1 
			 Total 3 
		
	
	
		
			 2009-10 British nationals surrendered 
			 Belgium 1 
			 Cyprus 3 
			 France 5 
			 Germany 2 
			 Greece 1 
			 Hungary 1 
			 Ireland 4 
			 Lithuania 1 
			 Malta 1 
			 Netherlands 2 
			 Poland 8 
			 Portugal 1 
			 Spain 11 
			 Total 41 
		
	
	
		
			 2010-11 British nationals surrendered 
			 Belgium 3 
			 Czech Republic 1 
			 France 2 
			 Germany 7 
			 Greece 8 
			 Ireland 4 
			 Malta 1 
			 Netherlands 5 
			 Poland 1 
			 Spain 16 
			 Total 48

Immigrants: Detainees

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  whether the UK Border Agency has any plans to review its policy on the time of day at which it visits homes for the removal of failed asylum seekers and illegal immigrants;
	(2)  if she will place in the Library a copy of the guidance provided to immigration officers undertaking home visits;
	(3)  whether guidance is provided to immigration officers on the time of day a visit should take place to a home where a child is resident.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency has clear guidance on the considerations that need to be made when planning an enforcement visit, including the time the visit should take place.
	Guidance for the timing of operational enforcement visits to residential addresses is set out in chapters 31, 45 and 61 of the Enforcement Instructions and Guidance which is available for public viewing on the UK Border Agency website at the link below:
	www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/policyandlaw/guidance/enforcement/
	Where enforcement action is being considered to ensure the return of a family with children, an individually tailored return plan will be referred to the independent Family Returns Panel. Enforcement visits will only take place when the Family Returns Panel has advised on the most appropriate time of day to secure the return of the family, while having regard to the welfare of the children.
	The timing of visit for cases falling outside of the family returns process is determined and also recorded in the risk assessment that is carried out for each visit. Visits should not normally take place either very late at night or very early in the morning unless operational planning indicates that a visit would be frustrated if carried out at a different time.
	All existing policy and guidance relating to the timing of enforcement visits is regularly reviewed as part of a programme of nationwide unannounced assurance currently being rolled out by the UK Border Agency's Professional Standards for Enforcement team (PSE).

Immigration

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how often immigration cases in the controlled archive are checked; what databases are used to carry out such checks; and how many staff perform such checks.

Damian Green: holding answer 15 November 2011
	The Case Assurance and Audit Unit are responsible for ongoing management of the controlled archive and active management of cases which could not be fully concluded due to a barrier, the unit consists of 126 staff.
	Each case is reviewed on a six monthly basis and a range of internal Home Office and external data bases are available.
	The Controlled Archive is a hold for those cases where the Case Resolution Directorate (CRD) had tried to establish contact with the applicant through the current set of processes and has been unsuccessful and all checks to establish the applicant's whereabouts have been made and all information on Case Information Database (CID) for the applicant is correct.
	When deciding whether to place a case file in the Controlled Archive, electronic records (ASYS, CID), and the case papers must be checked thoroughly to ensure that all steps have been taken to contact the applicant. All cases are subjected to checks against the Police National computer and Warning Index before being placed in the controlled archive. The UK Border Agency also has access to a number of further external databases including:
	UK Visas Database
	Voters registry
	DVLA records
	HM Revenue and Customs
	Department for Work and Pensions
	NHS Trace line

Telephones: Nuisance

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what her assessment is of whether appropriate arrangements are in place with telecommunications operators to support police investigations into complaints, made from the recipients of unwelcome, nuisance or sexually suggestive and obscene telephone calls and text messages;
	(2)  what timeframe the police are expected to check telephone records from telecommunications providers as part of an investigation arising from complaints received from the recipients of unwelcome, nuisance or sexually suggestive and obscene telephone calls and text messages;
	(3)  (a) what steps her Department is taking and (b) what guidelines her Department issues to the police to ensure that complaints about (i) nuisance telephone calls and text messages and (ii) sexually suggestive and obscene telephone calls and text messages which are offensive to the recipient are investigated in a prompt manner.

Nick Herbert: While the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), has overall responsibility for ensuring the delivery of an efficient and effective police service in England and Wales and setting the national strategic direction of policing, Ministers have no role in operational policing decisions, which are for chief officers of each police force and their constables. The Home Office does not set central targets for police response times or assess support available during police investigations. Provisions to deal with harassment involving any form of data communication is also covered in the Association of Chief Police Officers' Practice Advice on Stalking and Harassment.
	As part of the Violence Against Women and Girls Action Plan, the Government launched a consultation on stalking on 14 November 2011 to ask for views on how we can protect victims of stalking more effectively. The consultation incorporates a number of issues, including current legislation, the effect of police information notices, search powers, the work of existing organisations and alternative measures to tackle stalking. The consultation will remain open until 5 February 2012.
	The Home Office has been working with the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Ministry of Justice and a number of stalking charities to ensure that best practice guidance is disseminated through a series of regional events. This kind of help and improved training can ensure that stalking behaviour is identified early and acted upon.

Capital Grant

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he plans to announce how many local authorities will receive funding from his Department’s capital grant to be allocated in the autumn; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: Applications to the Priority School Building Programme (PSBP) are currently being assessed and we will announce those projects which will go forward in due course.
	On 3 November, the Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), announced an additional £500 million basic need funding. The funding, made available from within existing budgets, has been allocated to 111 local authorities that are experiencing the greatest pressure on school places.
	The Department is hoping to announce future allocations of capital maintenance, devolved formula capital and basic need funding for local authorities and schools in due course.

Children: Disability

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of schools returned information to the most recent Schools Census on whether a child in the school had a disability.

Sarah Teather: Information on pupils' disability was collected for the first time in the January 2011 School Census, on a voluntary basis. In the January 2011 School Census, 14.5% (3,132) of schools provided disability information for at least one pupil. However, for 906 of these schools the only valid disability code recorded was 'none'.

Departmental Design

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department has spent on design in respect of (a) logos, (b) buildings, (c) advertising, (d) stationery and (e) campaigns in the last year for which figures are available.

Tim Loughton: To get information on how much this Department has spent on design for the areas mentioned above could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	On logos and branding campaigns, I refer you to my answer of 20 July 2010, Official Report, column 261W, which details the breakdown of costs associated with the cost of rebranding the Department when it was established in May 2010. Since then, corporate design in areas (a) to (e) has been developed in-house at no additional cost. This includes the design of simple logos for our new executive agencies, which will be used for building signage, recruitment advertising, stationery and campaigns.

Schools

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many visits he has made to (a) academy secondary schools, (b) academy primary schools, (c) academy special schools, (d) free schools, (e) maintained secondary schools, (f) maintained primary schools and (g) maintained special schools since May 2010.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 24 October 2011
	Between May 2010 and 22 November, the Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), has visited the following types of schools:
	(a) 14 secondary academies
	(b) five primary academies
	(c) no academy special schools
	(d) two free schools
	(e) 18 maintained secondary schools
	(f) 11 maintained primary schools
	(g) two maintained special schools
	He has also visited three ‘all-through’ academies which offer primary and secondary provision, one independent school and two FE colleges.

Schools: Bullying

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what plans he has to increase resources for organisations that work to return severely bullied students to mainstream institutions;
	(2)  what plans he has to decrease the number of self-absenting pupils who take prolonged school leave due to severe bullying;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the number of secondary school children who returned to mainstream institutions after taking prolonged absences due to bullying in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: holding answers 25 and 28 November 2011
	Decisions about the approaches used to tackle bullying and support the victims of bullying are best taken locally, by schools and local authorities, and these activities should be funded principally from the Dedicated Schools Grant. Where a child is unable to attend school and is not being home educated, local authorities are required to provide suitable education at school or in alternative provision, the aim of which is usually to return the child to school. This can include education for children who are severely bullied. The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), has asked Charlie Taylor, his expert adviser on behaviour, to conduct a review of how to improve the quality of alternative provision. The Department does not collect data on absences as a result of bullying.

Schools: Rural Areas

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of funding for schools in rural areas; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: The Government have made clear its intention to reform the school funding system. The current funding system is based on historical expenditure and an out of date assessment of need. Our recent consultation on reforming the school funding system looked carefully at how rural schools should be supported. The Department for Education is considering responses to the consultation and discussing options with interested parties, including those who represent rural areas, before we decide how to proceed. We aim to consult on more detailed proposals in the spring.

Sixth Form Education: North East

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  how many people aged 16 to 18 from (a) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency, (b) Middlesbrough Borough, (c) Redcar and Cleveland Borough, (d) Teesside and (e) the North East were enrolled in (i) sixth form colleges and (ii) school sixth forms to start courses in each academic year since 2008-09;
	(2)  how many people aged 16 to 18 from (a) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency, (b) Middlesbrough Borough, (c) Redcar and Cleveland Borough, (d) Teesside and (e) the North East were enrolled in further education colleges to start courses in each academic year since 2008-09.

Tim Loughton: Data on participation in education post-16 is published in a Department for Education (DfE) Statistical First Release (SFR) entitled “Participation in Education, Training and Employment by 16-18 Year Olds in England”.
	Information on participation is not available at constituency or borough level. The following tables show the numbers and proportions of the cohort of young people of academic age 16-17 in the north east region and its constituent local authorities participating full-time in maintained schools or academies, sixth form colleges or colleges of further education. As the figures exclude participation in independent schools, part-time education and work-based learning they do not reflect all participation in education of 16-17 year olds.
	
		
			 Table 1: Number of 16-17  (1)   year olds participating full-time in education by institution type 
			  End 2008 (numbers) End 2009 (numbers) 
			  Maintained school or academy Sixth form college Other FE Maintained school or academy Sixth form college Other FE 
			 North East 17,400 5,000 23,300 18,100 5,100 23,800 
			 Hartlepool 300 700 700 300 700 700 
			 Middlesbrough 500 700 1,500 500 600 1,500 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 200 1,100 1,500 300 1,100 1,500 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 600 1,100 2,000 700 1,100 2,100 
			 Darlington 200 800 800 200 900 800 
			 Durham 3,700 600 4,700 3,800 700 4,900 
			 Gateshead 1,800 0 1,500 1,900 0 1,400 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 2,600 0 1,500 2,700 0 1,600 
			 North Tyneside 1,800 0 1,600 2,000 0 1,500 
			 Northumberland 3,800 0 1,600 3,900 0 1,800 
			 South Tyneside 500 0 2,200 600 0 2,200 
			 Sunderland 1,200 0 3,800 1,300 0 3,800 
			 (1) The age of a learner is measured at the beginning of the academic year, 31 August. Notes. 1. Participation figures for 18-year olds are not available disaggregated by local authority. 2. ‘Other FE’ includes all learners in General FE, tertiary and specialist colleges (e.g. agriculture colleges) and FE provision funded by the YPLA delivered in higher education institutions. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Proportion of 16-17  (1)   year olds participating full-time in education by institution type 
			  End 2008 (Percentage of cohort in LA) End 2009 (Percentage of cohort in LA) 
			  Maintained school or academy Sixth form college Other FE Maintained school or academy Sixth form college Other FE 
			 North East 25 7 34 27 8 36 
			 Hartlepool 12 27 25 14 28 29 
			 Middlesbrough 12 17 39 14 16 39 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 4 28 37 7 29 39 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 12 20 36 12 20 40 
			 Darlington 9 31 28 9 36 30 
			 Durham 28 5 35 29 5 38 
			 Gateshead 36 0 30 38 0 29 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 39 0 23 42 0 25 
			 North Tyneside 37 0 32 42 0 32 
			 Northumberland 47 0 20 50 0 23 
			 South Tyneside 13 0 53 15 0 56 
			 Sunderland 16 0 50 17 0 51 
			 (1) The age of a learner is measured at the beginning of the academic year, 31 August. Notes: 1. Participation figures for 18-year olds are not available disaggregated by local authority. 2. ‘Other FE’ includes all learners in General FE, tertiary and specialist colleges (e.g. agriculture colleges) and FE provision funded by the YPLA delivered in higher education Institutions.

Special Educational Needs: Young People

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will bring forward proposals to make it mandatory for local authorities to carry out learning-difficulty assessments for young people with disabilities or learning difficulties before they switch to post-16 providers; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: Local authorities already have a statutory duty to ensure learning difficulty assessments take place for all young people who had a statement of special educational need at school if they are moving from school into post 16 education or training. This provision was made under the Education Act 1996 (as amended by the ASCL Act) and section 139A of the Learning and Skill Act 2000.

Teachers: Finance

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what monitoring mechanisms he has put in place to assess the uptake of teacher release funding.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 29 November 2011
	We have removed from schools the burden of having to fill in long, time-consuming and cumbersome sport survey returns, which was a requirement of the previous Government. Instead, the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), will introduce a much lighter-touch system of measurement, focusing specifically on schools' participation in competitive sport as part of the School Games. In addition, there will be an independent impact study of the School Games which will sample trends in schools' participation. The details of these are currently being developed, including the extent to which they assess the release of PE teachers.

Young People: Unemployment

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many people aged between 16 and 18 were not in education, employment or training in Warrington South constituency in each academic year since 1997.

Tim Loughton: The official national estimates of the number and proportion of young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) in England are published by the Department in a Statistical First Release (SFR) each June. However, these data cannot be disaggregated to parliamentary constituency level because they are in part based on sample data for employment.
	We can estimate the number and proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds NEET at a sub-national level using data collected by local authorities, but the figures are not available at parliamentary constituency level.
	The figures for 16 to 18-year-olds who were NEET in each year between 2005-06 and 2010-11, for the Warrington local authority, are shown in the following table; statistics prior to 2005-06 are not available. Note that due to methodological differences,
	estimates for young people NEET based on local authority data tend to be lower than the official estimates for NEET in the SFR.
	
		
			 Number and proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds NEET (actual age) 
			  Average number NEET in the three months November to January (% of 16-18 year cohort in brackets) 
			  2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Warrington 460 (7.3%) 450 (7.0%) 370 (5.8%) 460 (7.2%) 360 (5.6%) 330 (5.3%) 
			 Notes: 1. Figures for 19-year-olds are not available. 2. Figures rounded to the nearest 10. Source: CCIS

Cancer: Ethnic Groups

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to the 2010 National Cancer Patient Experience Survey, what steps his Department is taking to improve the experience of black and other minority ethnic patients with cancer.

Paul Burstow: The National Cancer Action Team (NCAT) has established the National Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Cancer Voice, a cancer patient advisory panel, to understand the issues facing people who have been affected by cancer from BME communities. The 2010 Cancer Patient Experience Survey highlighted the variation in the views of patients from BME communities compared to white cancer patients. A number of culturally diverse surveys have been developed to further understand the reasons for the poor perception of care with the aim of working towards improvements.
	Qualitative based research has also been undertaken with a number of trusts that followed up the NCAT 2009-10 culturally sensitive baseline audit; an audit which asked trusts about their policies and services relating to BME communities. This research has been carried out in partnership with Breast Cancer Care, and has been focused on finding where best practice already exists in providing culturally diverse cancer services. A report aimed at commissioners and providers will be available in early 2012.
	The 2010 survey data have been analysed by equality group. Evidence was found of many differences, including BME patients being more likely to report not receiving understandable answers to their questions and not being given enough care after discharge. These findings, along with many others, have been shared with cancer networks, along with suggestions for action to reduce these differences in reported experience.

Health: Children

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to amend the Health and Social Care Bill to require joint working between health and education services in respect of the needs of children.

Anne Milton: Health and wellbeing Boards will be a forum for the national health service, local authorities and communities to exercise shared leadership in arriving at a joint understanding of local needs, including the needs of local children and a shared strategy to address those needs.
	The director of Children's Services will be a statutory member of the board. The health and wellbeing board will have powers to encourage close working with commissioners of health related services, which could include education services, where these have an effect on health. Clinical commissioning groups must exercise their functions with a view to securing that the provision of health services is integrated with the provision of health related services, which could include education services.

Departmental Food

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of food sourced by (a) his Department and (b) public bodies for which he is responsible was procured from UK food producers in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Lidington: The proportion of food sourced by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK procured from UK food producers is as follows:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			 2010-11 25 
			 April 2011 to date 25 
		
	
	“Produced in the UK” is defined as of guaranteed UK provenance which can be fully traced back to the source, ie food that has been grown and harvested or born, bred and slaughtered in the UK. Therefore we have not included any products that, even though may have been produced or manufactured in the UK, are of mixed origin.
	In addition we can confirm the following:
	100% of our fresh beef is UK sourced
	100%of our fresh pork joints is UK sourced
	100% of fresh milk is both UK sourced and Red Tractor
	100% of shell eggs are UK sourced and Lion marked
	All of our potatoes and root vegetables are sourced from UK when in season
	The data for 2010-11 relating to this request and other food related targets is published on the FCO website.
	It would incur disproportionate cost to source this information from our network of posts and our public bodies as this information is held locally.

Egypt: Elections

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to help ensure a smooth transition to civilian democratic rule following the parliamentary elections in Egypt on 28 November 2011.

Alistair Burt: The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces have committed to a transition to a civilian-led democracy. This transition process is owned by the Egyptian people and it is not for the UK to dictate who or what should be acceptable to them. However, there has been sustained high-level UK Government engagement in support of the democratic transition process in Egypt, including visits by the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague). Our embassy in Cairo is in close contact with Egyptian parties to the transition and is helping to develop initiatives in support of that process under the Arab Partnership.

Egypt: Elections

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on responses to street protests in relation to the forthcoming parliamentary elections in Egypt.

Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), is in regular contact with his counterparts, especially those in the MENA region, about Egypt. He will discuss the situation in Egypt with his EU counterparts at the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on 30 November to 1 December.
	The Foreign Secretary made statements on 23 and 27 November in which he has set out the Government’s views on the situation in Egypt, including deep concern about the unacceptable violence and loss of life which has taken place in Tahrir square and other parts of Egypt, and the UK’s consistent call for a rapid, clear transition to civilian-led democratic rule and elections that are free, fair, credible and secure. He discussed the situation and the forthcoming elections with the Egyptian Foreign Minister on 24 November.

Heritage Oil

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2011, Official Report, column 47W, on Heritage Oil, what representations he received from Heritage Oil after he was approached by a representative of Heritage Oil in March 2011.

David Lidington: holding answer 29 November 2011
	The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), received one letter from Mr Christian Sweeting, Director of London and Central European Investments.

USA: Rendition

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many flights by US intelligence services with a detainee on board have landed in (a) the UK, (b) British Overseas Territories and (c) Crown dependencies since 11 September 2001; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: There have been two cases, in January and September 2002, in which flights carrying a detainee had landed and refuelled on Diego Garcia in the British Indian Ocean Territories. The UK was informed of these flights by the US in February 2008, following which the then Foreign Secretary the right hon. Member for South Shields (David Miliband), made a statement to Parliament. The US informed us that these flights refuelled briefly on Diego Garcia and that the detainees did not leave the plane.
	Aside from the two cases of rendition through Diego Garcia in 2002, the US Government has confirmed that there have been no other instances in which US intelligence flights landed in the UK, our Overseas Territories, or the Crown Dependencies, with a detainee on board since 11 September 2001.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to reply to the hon. Member for Edinburgh West's letters of 24 August 2011 and 4 October 2011 concerning a constituent, Sarah Culbertson.

Chris Grayling: Jobcentre Plus replied to the hon. Member on behalf of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr Duncan Smith), on 6 September 2011. I apologise that no action was taken to clarify this when the hon. Member wrote again in October.